Drive for washing-machines.



H. WEBER.

DRI'VE FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG.28, I916.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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R. m e m m M n w M J 1 H I 7 an 7 MIG O 8 OOOOOOOOOOI O 0 0000000000 E 0 0 w 0000m000000 M 0 0 W 0000000000 0 0 0000000000 0 (A 50 o 0 L 0000000000 M 0 J m 00 1m 0 4 Elm F I 4 6 a m 2 PF A WITNESSES:

H. WEBER.

DRIVE'FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2H| 1916. 1 2 9 331 Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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l v I WITNESSES: 1N VEN rm n 7 7 er.

fl AT T ORNEY are HERMAN WEBER, .01? OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

DRIVE non WASHING-MACHINES:

Application filed August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN WEBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oak Park, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useclaimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portionof a washing machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal substantially central section of the same, and, Fig. 3, an enlarged detail view of a clutch-opera ting mechanism employed in the construction.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a horizontal tank 6 substantially open at the top and divided by a plurality of vertical partitions 7 and 8 into a plurality of washing compartments 9 and 10, as indicated. The compartments 9 and 10 are of difi'erent sizes as shown, and each contains a rotatable washing element 11 and 12 of any usual or desired construction and corresponding in size to that of the corresponding compartment. The washing elements 11 and 12 are mounted upon trunnions secured to the ends thereof and project through packings 14 in the adjacent walls of the compartments, the

trunnions 13 extending through adjoining ends of partitions 7 are extended somewhat to project intothe space 7 provided between said partitions. The ends of the trunnions 13 are provided with coaxial sockets in which a shaft 15 is mounted and a large driving gear 16 is mounted on said shaft. The gear 16 is provided with a central hub 17 having clutch members on opposite sides thereof cooperating with clutches 18 splined or feathered to the trunnions 13, as indicated. Each of the clutches 18 is operated by means of an operating lever 19 having a clutch embracing ring 20 provided with bearing blocks 21 running in a groove 22 in said clutch. Each of the levers 19 is provided with a latching dog 23 arranged to automatically engage a latch-24 secured to the corresponding end of the corresponding compartment. Each of the dogs 23 is operated by means of an operating handle 25, as shown. Gear 16 is driven'by means of a pinion 26 on a shaft 27 extending the full length of the tank 6 and driven by means of a pulley 28 in the usual manner. The shaft 27 isoperated in the usual manner to rotate a specified number of times in one direction and then reverse and rotate a specified number of times in the other direction, as is usual in power-driven washing machines. By means of the arrangement specified either or both of the washing elements 11 and 12 may be readily thrown into operation, as desired. The specific arrangement for operating the washing elements is simple, efiicient, and a compact one for the purpose.

Obviously, the sets of compartments 11 and 12 may be duplicated as much as desired, the machine illustrated consisting of two setsof said compartments .divided by a space 8, but only a little over half of the machine is illustrated, the other half thereof being exactly the same and requiring no illustration.

Arranged in the upper portion of each of the compartments 9 and 10 is a horizontal mixing pan 29 arranged to overflow into the corresponding compartment; Hotand cold Water pipes 30 are positioned over the top of the washing machine and faucets 31 lead therefrom into the mixing pans 29. By this arrangement, the water entering the different washing compartments may be readily tested by the hand and regulated nicely for temperature which is of the highcst importance in Washing certain kinds of goods, such as woolen goods.

The joining ends of-the compartments 9 and 10 are connected at their bottoms by means of a pipe 32 controlled by a valve 33 which in turn is controlled byan operating stem 34, as shown. Likewise the lower portions of adjoining compartments 10 are con- By this means the different washing compartments may be operated entirely independent of each other when washing different kinds of goods, or a part thereof may be interconnected as desired, the water in one communicating freely with the water in the others.

A suitable discharge pipe 38 is provided for each of the compartments, controlled by a valve 39 which in turn is controlled by an operating stem 40 by means of'which the various compartments may be drained when desired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spiritof the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A driving mechanism for washing machines comprising two washing element trunnions arranged in co-axial alinement with each other, with a space between them;

a shaft mounted between the ends of said trunnions and supported thereby; a driving member on said shaft; a clutch member on 3 each of'said trunnions, there being corresponding clutch members on each side of said driving member; and means for operating said first clutch members independently of each other, substantially as de- 4 scribed.

2. A driving mechanism for washing machines comprising two washing element trunnions arranged in co-axial alinement with each other, with a space between them, 4 said trunnions being provided in their adjacent ends with co-axial shaft sockets; a shaft mounted in said sockets; a driving gear fixed to said shaft; a clutch member on each of said trunnions, there being corre- 5 sponding clutch members on each side of said gear; an operating lever operatively connected with each of the clutch members on said trunnions; and releasable means for locking each of saidtrunnion clutch mem- 5 'bers out of engagement with its gear clutch member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have slgned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN WEBER. Witnesses JOSHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, HELEN F. LILLIs. 

